19-25 AUGUST

All records relate to Wilstone Reservoir unless otherwise stated

Great Crested Grebe - 17 on Wilstone throughout
Little Grebe - up to 10 on Wilstone, mainly juveniles
Sinensis Cormorant - up to 41 roosting
Grey Heron - up to 12
*LITTLE EGRET - single adult present from 19-26, favouring muddy bay to right of Daryton Bank Hide
Mute Swan - 73 on 22nd with an overnight increase to 80 on 23rd; 78 on 24th, with 75 on 25th
Whooper Swans - the adult pair which oversummered at Dunstable Sewage Farm arrived overnight on 23rd and remained until at least 26th (SR, LGRE, et al).
Greylag Goose - 1 remains on Wilstone
Canada Goose - 257 in College Lake on 25th (Ben Miller)
Barnacle Goose - bird of unknown origin present on 19th
Gadwall - 29 present throughout
Northern Shoveler - gradual increase from 21 on 18th to 33 on 25th
Eurasian Wigeon - eclipse drake remained until 20th
Common Teal - increasing daily, from 33 on 18th to 45 on 25th
*GARGANEY - present throughout
Northern Pochard - 17 present throughout
*RED-CRESTED POCHARD - eclipse drake and 1 juvenile remained until 22nd
Tufted Duck - 108
RUDDY DUCK - present throughout with 2 adult drakes, an adult female and 2 juveniles present on 25th
OSPREY - details forthcoming on my website
Red Kite - up to 8 birds present daily, including at least 3 juveniles
Common Buzzard - again, up to 8 birds seen daily
Eurasian Sparrowhawk - family party of 5 birds survives
Common Kestrel - 2-5 seen daily
HOBBY - 4 present on Wilstone (including 1 juvenile) with a further 4 in College Lake (2 juveniles) (LGRE, Ben Miller, et al)
Red-legged Partridge - pair noted on 24th (LGRE, SR, WC)
Common Pheasant - present
Water Rail - 1 adult present throughout (Ian Williams)
Moorhen and Coot - present; no counts undertaken
RINGED PLOVER - 1 flew over on 24th (LGRE, SR, WC)
Lapwing - 311 on bund
Common Sandpiper - 2 juveniles present throughout
COMMON GREENSHANK - 2 juveniles present from at least 18th were joined by a third juvenile on 21st and a fourth (the Pitstone Quarry juvenile) from 24th-26th (LGRE et al)
*ICELANDIC BLACK-TAILED GODWIT - 4 juveniles were present from late afternoon until 2005 hours on 19th (AN, DB) - see photographs
*EURASIAN CURLEW - 2 visited Wilstone briefly (0630 hours) on 22md (RH, DB)
Black-headed Gull - up to 400 in area
**WHIMBREL - 1 flew over on Wilstone on 24th (SR)
YELLOW-LEGGED GULL - at least 5 birds present in area throughout, including two adults and three juveniles (LGRE, DB, et al)
Lesser Black-backed Gull - up to 90 birds present, with a mixture of both internedius and graellsii
Common Tern - up to 10, with 7 adults present on 25th (including an abnormally plumaged individual - see notes)
*ARCTIC TERN - 1 juvenile during heavy rain on Startopsend Reservoir at 0740 hours on 24th (Mike Wallen)
Stock Dove - resident pair seen daily
Woodpigeon - 360+ ny Dry Canal
Collared Dove - present
Little Owl - 1 adult roosting in tree behind car park
COMMON SWIFT - recorded daily, but with just singles on 23rd, 24th & 25th
Common Kingfisher - 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Sand Martin - very small numbers noted
Barn Swallow - noted passage, with 60+ through on most days
House Martin - large numbers present daily, with 86 on 25th
Pied Wagtail - 11 present on Wilstone including 1 juvenile still being fed
YELLOW WAGTAIL - 5 on 21st (WC), with singles on 22nd and 24th. Five flew east on 25th (LGRE)
Grey Wagtail - 5 including 2 juveniles
Wren, Dunnock & Robin - present
*WHINCHAT - juvenile present in hedge by new outflow briefly on 25th (Stuart Wilson)
Mistle Thrush & Common Blackbird - present
Blackcap - at least 8 still remaining
Lesser Whitethroat - 2 still remaining (to 25th)
Common Whitethroat - 1 trapped on 25th
Sedge Warbler - 15+ in reedbed
*CETTI'S WARBLER - adult female and juvenile trapped in reedbed on 25th (MC, WC)
European Reed Warbler - 30+ in reedbed
Willow Warbler - 1 trapped on 25th
Common Chiffchaff - 20+ remaining
Goldcrest - 14+
Great Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit and Long-tailed Tit; Common Treecreeper, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow & Rook
Common Starling - peak of 51 birds
House Sparrow - 43 by Marsworth 'Angler's Retreat' garden
Chaffinch, Linnet, Goldfinch & Greenfinch
**COMMON CROSSBILL - 4 over on 25th (WC, MC)
Reed Bunting - 3-5 present